Wednesday, August 31, 2011

You’ve got a great story concept. The minute it comes to you, scenes start unfolding in your head, plot points filling in faster than you can remember them. You grab a piece of paper and jot down ideas before they slip away.

You start writing. Chapter after chapter. Some easier than others, but still with that exhilarating sense that this is a winner. A story that will sell. Something new. Fresh.

And then one day you’re walking through the bookstore or scrolling through Publishers Lunch and you see it: your concept, already on the shelves or listed in the latest deals.

Has this happened to you?

It’s happened to me. Twice.

My debut novel, The Mark (Bloomsbury, 2010), was finished and in production when I heard about not one, but two other YA books coming out within a few months of it with nearly the same concept.

Take a look at these descriptions:

The Mark: Cassie knows when someone is about to die. Not how or where, only when: today.

What did I do? The only thing I could: after moping around for a while feeling rotten, I ignored those other books. I didn’t look them up again or follow their reviews or sales numbers. And I certainly didn’t read them.

Until now. Two years later I was finally un-chicken enough to take a peek.

Turns out I was right to avoid them. Not because they’re just like my book (fear #1) - they’re not.

But because of the doubt the few similarities would have planted in my head. That insidious, parasitic second-guessing that is a writer’s worst enemy: Should I change that character’s name? Have her live with an uncle instead of an aunt? Cut that line that sounds too much like one in another book?

Re-write this scene? Or what about this one? Make the narrator male? Or instead of a glow, maybe it should be something else…

You can see how that might be unproductive.

Fear #2 – that these books might influence my writing - was real. The Mark was beyond my ability to change, but I had a sequel to write, one that wouldn’t benefit from shaken confidence.

Writing is a leap of faith. It’s one thing to examine your characters and plot to make them as good and authentic as you can. But when you stop believing in yourself and your story and your characters and start changing them just to fit a mold or break one, you lose something essential to the process: your unique voice and point of view.

Writer Audre Lord said: There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.

Of course it would be better if no one ever came up with the same fabulous concept you did, but what are the chances of that? And yes, there is probably a saturation point for certain ideas. But if you don’t know of five or ten books already out there, that point probably isn’t close. Vampires have proven there’s ample room for variations on a theme.

So if it happens to you, I say believe in your story and write it anyway. Because even if your basic concept is the same, through your eyes and with your voice, it will still be unique.

At least, I’m banking on that for my WIP, a novel called The Box that was eighty percent drafted when I read about the new Jay Asher/Carolyn Mackler book The Future of Us.

The concept? Teens accidentally see a slice of their future.

The same as my new, exciting, fresh novel. Oh no.

As you might have guessed, I wrote it anyway.

Cynsational Notes

Enter to win an advanced reader copy of The Vision by Jen Nadol (Bloomsbury, September 2011). From the promotional copy:

Cassie Renfield knows the mark tells her when someone is going to die and that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But she still doesn't understand the consequences, especially whether saving one life dooms another.

With no family left to offer guidance, Cassie goes in search of others like her. But when she meets Demetria, a troubled girl who seems to have the same power, Cassie finds the truth isn't at all what she expected. And then there's her heady new romance with bad boy Zander. Dating him has much graver repercussions than Cassie could ever have imagined, forcing her to make choices that cut to the essence of who she is and what she believes.

The Vision is a riveting sequel to The Mark, offering readers a romance with big stakes and a new ethical dilemma with no easy answers.

To enter, comment on this post and include an email address (formatted like: cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com) or a link to an email address. Or email Cynthia directly with "The Mark" in the subject line. Author-sponsored. Eligibility: U.S./Canada entries only. Deadline: midnight CST Sept. 6.

"Beverly 'Kezi' Matthews passed away on Nov. 16, 2010. After an early career in radio and television, both on and off the air, Beverly settled into a lengthy career of creating original artist dolls and then took up writing. Within a short time, she became an award winning novelist, writing three powerful novels--Scorpio's Child (Cricket, 2001), Flying Lessons (Cricket, 2002), and John Riley's Daughter (Cricket, 2000)--and a number of short stories for young people."

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The inspiration for the digital transformation of Snuggle Mountain (Clarion, 2003/PicPocket, 2011) from a hardcover picture book into an app happened when I found out the original picture book was going out of print.

As you can imagine, having a book go out of print is a sad day for an author. Especially for me. I love kids, and I love going into classrooms and libraries to read Snuggle Mountain to little ones. I love hearing them laugh, watching their eyes grow wide with worry about the two-headed giant and then, as I turn the page to the big reveal, hearing them exclaim, “Hey, it’s Mom and Dad!”

I’ll never forget this one little boy, sighing, when I finished reading and saying, “That was the best book ever.” I tell you, those little uncensored reviews are like chocolates for the spirit.

In December 2007, I heard that Clarion had decided to let Snuggle Mountain go out of stock (that’s sometimes the step before going out of print). I thought about getting the rights back then and finding a smaller publisher to print a softcover version, but I was about to start the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) and I wanted to focus on craft, not publishing.

At my second residency at VCFA in January 2009, Jean Gralley came to speak to the students and faculty about ebooks. Basically, Jean’s talk was about the gigantic possibilities of picture books in the digital format. In the discussion afterward, Jean acknowledged that some people are quite unhappy about ebooks because they think that ebooks and screens spell the death of picture books.

I remember Tim Wynne-Jones saying that people had the same fear of television killing theater. It didn’t happen.

Jean’s presentation didn’t spell doom to me. In fact, it kind of set my brain on fire.

I love the possibilities of interactive screens as a way for kids to explore words and images and ideas. Yes, I still love the lap and the print picture book and turning the pages. For me, it’s not an either/or situation. It’s both.

Our world is changing, and it now includes both paradigms: the page and the screen.

By the time I graduated from VCFA in July 2010, the world of books as we knew it was undergoing a sea of change. And the tsunami of apps was just beginning.

Remember that expression, “Is there an app for that?” Remember way back in 2010, when we’d ask that question, wondering if someone had designed a tool, an app, to, say, find a parking space, scan bar codes for price comparison or tell us what song was playing in an elevator? While all of these reading platforms were changing, there was another game changer: the app. Apple, in particular, was focused on this thing called an app. At first, most people were using apps as tools or games, but the app is a fundamentally multimedia experience and that is why it lent itself to picture books.

The difference between eBooks and apps is simple. eBooks are text heavy/image light. They are a cost-efficient way of making your book available on a multitude of eReading devices, from a variety of retailers, thanks to the ePub format. The app can be an in-depth reference guide, a great tool, a game. It can combine art and text, sound and movement. It is multifaceted, and the app market exploded when smart phones became the device to carry in your pocket.

Picture books can be eBooks, but they don’t, in my opinion, work very well because what you see on the screen of an eReader is one page. That's fine for the text-only reading experience. But picture books, as we know, are a much different species. Illustrators use the entire two-page spread to tell a story. They play with the gutter. They think about the placement of words on the page. Every page, every spread, is a complete work of art.

Picture books don’t work very well on eReaders because you can only see one page, one half of an illustration. Apps are another story. Apps take the artwork on the two-page spread and fit it to the smartphone or tablet screen. Apps could at last do justice to the artwork in picture books.

Right after I graduated, I got busy getting the rights to Snuggle Mountain reverted to me.

Thanks to you, Cyn, I went to Aimee Bissonette of Little Buffalo Law. She looked at my rights reversion clause in my contract with Clarion (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and helped me write the official reversion request letter.

Aimee was prepared to step in if there were any problems, but there weren’t. Clarion was most gracious, and the rights reverted to illustrator Melissa Iwai and me in January 2011.

At that same time, a coalition of respected children’s trade book authors’ and illustrators started a blog called e is for book, focused on experiences developing their books for electronic media. (Thank you, Greg Pincus, for announcing their debut.) Their blog posts helped me understand the difference between eReaders and apps.

One of the posts talked about PicPocket Books. I contacted Lynette Mattke of PicPocket and sent her one of the few remaining copies of Snuggle Mountain. She loved it. Melissa and I liked that PicPocket was dedicated to keeping the integrity of the book. Apps have the inherent temptation to become more of a game.

Lynette made the choice to remain true to the books she develops into apps. She told us up front that if we were more interested in games, then we should look elsewhere. Melissa and I talked later, and we agreed that PicPocket felt like a good fit. At the time, PicPocket had done about two dozen apps and Lynette had started MomswithApps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.

We did explore other app developers. In fact, it was kind of crazy for a while because it seemed like every other day, there would be a new app developer popping up.

We went with PicPocket because, as I said to Melissa, we were just getting into this big e-stream, why not be with a boutique developer and figure it out as we go along? So that’s what we did.

We signed the contract in March. I immediately wrote little bits of dialogue for my protagonist, Emma, to say in addition to the text on the page. Meanwhile, Melissa was working her magic with the illustrations and getting them to fit the iPad and iPhone format. She also animated some of the art work (e.g. the wagging dog tail) and put little eyes in the bed covers to enhance her already brilliant design, which involved hiding the giants' faces in the wrinkles and folds of the covers.

In April, I had a Skype visit with the Lynette in which she basically showed me the Snuggle Mountain app on her computer. It was amazing.

One word of caution: because apps are applications (read: software), you really need to check all the bells and whistles that your app offers. Software formatting errors are the digital version of typos.

The good news is app updates are pretty normal, and they can fix your ‘typo’ with ease.

We signed a contract in March, and the app was available for purchase in May.

In the traditional publishing world, the standard advice is to try to sell your first print run in the first year your book is out.

Having an app is different. You still need to do marketing every day, but you don’t have books taking up warehouse space so the pressure is a bit different. In a way, there’s more freedom.

Also the price point (Snuggle Mountain IPhone app is $1.99 and the IPad app is $2.99) is hugely different. I remember preparing for an airplane rides with my daughter when she was a toddler. I would stock up on little toys to keep her occupied on the plane. Now parents can tuck a few book apps on their smart phones or tablets for a trip.

It’s kind of exciting, figuring out new ways to promote your book as an app. Currently, I am working on a trailer for the Snuggle Mountain app, tweaking my website to feature the app, and doing guest posts for blogs.

I am also looking forward to taking this new format into schools and libraries.

Cynsational Giveaway
Enter to win one of three Snuggle Mountain apps (IPhone and IPad users only). To enter, comment on this post and include an email address (formatted like: cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com) or a link to an email address. Or you can email Cynthia directly with "Snuggle Mountain app" in the subject line. Author sponsored. Deadline: Sept. 26.

Monday, August 29, 2011

I write about boys because I am a boy. And I write humor because so much about being a boy is funny. Not at the time, of course, but usually looking back and almost always from the perspective of others.

I don’t remember thinking it was funny when I was 12 and kept tripping over my own feet, for example, but I laughed until I nearly peed myself watching my own son try to figure out the pull of gravity when puberty hit him.

I read once that comedy is tragedy plus time and also that memories are what you remember, not necessarily what happened. So it’s good for me to revisit my own adolescence and give it a funnier spin.

Kevin came to be a few years back when someone lied to me. I remember feeling disgusted and thinking, “That’s not even a good lie. And you’re not really selling it. You’ve got to be able to do better than that.”

And then I heard Kevin’s voice: “I’m the best liar you’ll ever meet.”

He’s not one of my usual characters—he’s glib and self-assured in an almost tragically misguided way. He can’t seem to pull it together but he doesn’t see that about himself.

I liked the idea that, all evidence to the contrary, this boy would act as if it was impossible for him to fail. Despite all the proof that keeps stacking up that he has no idea what he’s doing, he’s self-confident. Clueless, but relentless in his certainty.

I wrote Liar, Liar (Random House, 2011), and I thought I was done with Kevin’s story. But then Flat Broke (Random House, 2011) came along because I’d gotten a letter from someone who’d read Lawn Boy (Random House, 2007) and said he didn’t think it would be that easy to get filthy stinking rich as a 14-year-old.

And then Crush (coming May 2012) because someone asked me about Harris and Me (Harcourt, 1993) and the scene where I could not figure out how to talk to a girl I liked when I was a kid and I remembered the feeling of being tongue-tied, paralyzed with fear, even though I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Sometimes I think I’d be happy to write a book a year about Kevin in between the other books I have in mind. Perpetually 14, perennially messing up, everlastingly optimistic.

Cynsational Giveaway

Enter to win Liar, Liar and Flat Broke by Gary Paulsen (Random House, 2011). To enter, comment on this post and include an email address (formatted like: cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com) or a link to an email address. Or you can email me directly with "Paulsen" in the subject line. Publisher sponsored. Deadline: Sept. 16. U.S. readers eligible.

"Pope Benedict the XVI even issued an edict instructing all archdioceses around the world to send one priest to the Vatican for official exorcist training." More on Gretchen and Ginger.

From the promotional copy:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, but the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

YA Books with Boy Appeal: a bibliography of recommendations from Saundra Mitchell. Note: Saundra also discusses the larger societal context around boys and the presumption that they can't root for girl heroes (and now consider the gender composition of, say, Congress).

Where Stories Come From by R.L. LaFevers from Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "...our richest, most authentic stories come out of our own traumas and heartbreaks. Not necessarily in a direct correlation—I was beaten as a child therefore I will write about child abuse. But rather the core emotional issues, the wounds and scars that have shaped us will also shape our stories."

A Safer Way to Get Noticed by Jane Lebak from QueryTracker.net Blog. Peek: "Some people say breaking the rules will help you stand out, but it seems to me that with the rule-followers in the minority, there's a safer way to get noticed."

The Bridge Between Us: Connecting with Your Reader Through Theme by Teresa Harris from Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "Theme should never be stated outright. It exists in subtext, lurking in the meanings of the words we choose, the things our characters say, their actions, even the silence on the page. Subtlety is key. Subtext should exist in an ethereal form. If the story is the body, the subtext is its soul."

The New School in New York City offers an MFA program in Writing for Children. Peek: "The creative writing graduate program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study. All courses and most Writer's Life Colloquium events are conveniently scheduled in the evening. At this time, part-time study is not an option, and, due to the integral nature of the curriculum, transfer credits are not accepted."

So What If Your Book Doesn't Sell? Or Sell Right Away? by Jennifer Laughran from Jennifer Represents. Peek: "A recent agency book was sold after 4 years of submission and 45+ editor rejections, and now has starred reviews and is going places. It happens, it really does."

Children's Literature Association Call for Papers: Philippine Children's Literature from Tarie at Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind. Peek: "The International Committee of the Children’s Literature Association is planning a special country focus panel on the Philippines, to be presented at the 39th Children’s Literature Association Conference, to be held at Simmons College, Boston from June 14 to June 16. The committee invites paper proposals that focus on any aspect of Philippine children’s literature."

Writing about Race in Speculative Fiction by Malinda Lo from Books, Food, Queer Stuff, Life. Peek: "I think that writers really cannot be beholden to political correctness. If a word fits, use it. That’s what words are for. Of course you have to be careful about which word to use, but you have to be careful about which word to use in every sentence."

Absent Parents in Children's Literature by Matthew MacNish from Project Mayhem: The Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers. Peek: "I'm trying to think of a scenario in which normal, healthy, present parents could be a part of a YA or MG novel. I can't think of a single one I've read myself. I think I may have to write one."

Is It Dark in Here, Or Is It Just the YA? by Mindy McGinnis from Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. Peek: "...when I first started my job as a YA librarian I was more than a little taken aback by what I could find in the pages of the books I was processing. Then I took a look at my patrons and began to understand."

Anneographies: top blog for picture book biographies posts on the subject's birthdays. Highest Recommendation.

Random Acts of Publicity Week by Darcy Pattison from Fiction Notes. Peek: "The 3rd Annual Random Acts of Publicity, September 6-8, 2011 is a week to celebrate your Friend’s book, or your favorite book, by doing a Random Act of Publicity: Blog, link, Like, review, or talk about the book . (BLLuRT it Out!) Daily posts here on Fiction Notes (www.darcypattison.com) will offer tips, wisdom and prizes for your friend!" Twitter: Use #RAP2011 Note: Darcy will also be offering interviews with top children's-YA literature publicists and giving away copies of The Book Trailer Manual.

To enter, comment on this post (click link and scroll) and include an email address (formatted like: cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com) or a link to an email address. Or you can email me directly with "Tantalize: Kieren's Story" in the subject line. Author-sponsored. Deadline: Sept. 6.

Wow! It's the U.S. release week for my first graphic novel, Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick). Back when I was a kid, my dad would load me up in the Oldsmobile time and time again to pick up comics at the local convenience store. Who would've guessed it would lead to this?

Are you a Canadian reader? I've received word (thanks, Jessie!) that you can find the graphic novel at Chapters and no doubt other stores as well. Always remember that if a book you want isn't on the shelves, a bookseller or librarian can order it for you! Just ask!

Publishers Weekly says of Tantalize: Kieren's Story: "...a face-paced, twisty, enjoyable ride and compelling characters who develop as the story unfolds. Kieran’s sidekicks, a were-armadillo and a were-possum, provide some welcome perspective on the hero’s obsession..."

Guest Author Cynthia Leitich Smith: How to Tantalize as a Graphic Novel from The Other Side of the Story with Janice Hardy. Peek: "I opened the book again, and began translating the existing scenes in which he appeared into a script format, shifting the point of view. I had to think about pacing in a new way, clip much of the connective tissue, and trust the illustrator to fill in the setting as well as much of the emotion and mood." Note: post includes excerpt of the prose novel and the corresponding graphic script.

Reminder: I'm not currently accepting any manuscripts for blurb consideration. Thanks!

Greg and I celebrated the graphic novel release by going to see "Fright Night" at the Alamo Drafthouse. We're fans of the original and learning that Marti Noxon wrote the screenplay cinched it. The movie is played straight but still funny, violent, profane, and romantic. A real horror movie. The pacing is terrific, the update resonant, and the female characters infinity improved. Not for the squeamish or those only into emo vampires.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Welcome, Ming! First, I must say how thrilled I was at the news that you were illustrating Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick, 2011).

Then came the sketches, and I was spinning. Now, with the final art in the finished book, I'm spinning over the moon. Thank you so much for bringing my characters to life!

And my thanks right back at you, Cynthia!

Telling Kieren’s tale has been the largest project of my career to date, and it was an adventure I embarked upon with suitcases full of enthusiasm and a true sense of exploration.

So much about your story was new to me, from the assorted werecreatures to the setting itself, that it was a pleasure to explore the thrilling new terrain by drawing my way through it!

I wonder, what were you like as a teenager? Shy, outgoing, already an artist? Maybe a shape-shifter of some kind?

Ha, I’d like to say I was a member of an elite mutant task force who fought for justice and equality! But alas and not uncommonly, my adolescent years were fairly miserable. I was a boisterous and creative child, but by the time middle school rolled around, I was more interested in visiting libraries and museums than daydreaming about teen idols or trips to the mall, habits which didn’t necessarily endear me to my classmates or elicit their understanding.

More damningly, I was also a gigantic pop culture nerd from practically the moment I gained consciousness. I would plead with my parents to allow me to watch one episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" each weeknight in return for completing my homework in a timely manner, and when I spent my junior year of high school studying abroad in Beijing, I attempted to read The Lord of the Rings in Chinese. That is how nerdy we’re talking.

Interestingly enough, however, I am now leading the exact life that I think my teenage self would have killed for. I’ve got a huge collection of comic books and action figures as well as a network of similarly nerdy friends and colleagues, and I get to support myself by playing make believe and drawing all day. So really, I can’t complain!

When did you decide to pursue art professionally? Was it something you always knew that you wanted to do, or was there an ah-ha! moment that you'd like to share with us?

I pretty much knew I wanted to be an artist the moment my teachers broke out the finger paints in kindergarten. I was just lucky enough to have a family that supported me in my somewhat offbeat interest while still instilling in me the work ethic and sense of personal responsibility necessary to make a vocation out of my passion. I couldn’t be more grateful for that combination of boundless encouragement and disciplined structure.

How did you prepare yourself for this career?

After spending most of my free time drawing nearly incessantly all throughout high school, my college advisers and parents eventually pointed me in the direction of several art colleges as well as universities with art-focused majors. I decided to attend Cornell University, graduating with a dual concentration BFA in painting and drawing.

What attracted me so strongly to Cornell as a place of study was its vast array of colleges, majors, research resources, and reference materials. In addition to taking life drawing and lithography classes, I was also able to study art history, Mandarin Chinese, the history of space exploration, noir films, anthropology, Greek vase painting, Beowulf, and all manner of other subjects.

I had access to an incredible wealth of multi-discipline knowledge that I’m sure greatly enriched my studies beyond what I would have learned if I’d only focused on color wheels and perspective points.

That work led to slightly larger jobs such as a chapter in the graphic novelization of the movie Jennifer’s Body by BOOM! and a short story in Marvel’s Girl Comics.

How did you connect with my manuscript?

I was immediately intrigued and excited by the “movie script” style of your manuscript, on a purely technical standpoint.

By reading the “stage directions,” there was a lot of room for me to flesh out actions in my head and decide how to arrange each page, instead of being bound by the more standard comic book script format of drawing the actions as they are described panel by panel.

I really appreciated the opportunity to interpret the action at my own pace, and I think that the fact that I essentially got to have a hand in helping to “stage direct” the comic allowed me to feel a lot closer to the material.

What attracted you to the project?

Kieren’s an incredibly sympathetic narrator, and I liked the sound of him so much that I was eager for the chance to take a crack at the look of him, as well.

Beyond the superficial of being a tall, dark, supernatural teen, he’s rather introspective, and a bit of a natural detective. He seems to take a lot of things to heart, so he almost can’t help but mull over murders, motives, and quirks.

As a big Sherlock Holmes fan, I was quite drawn to the mysterious aspects of the story and had a lot of fun discovering clues and noticing patterns along with Kieren.

The other quality that really struck me about this graphic novelization in particular was that the point of view followed Kieren at all. The prose book is told from Quincie’s perspective, and I think it’s a bit more common to see these sorts of stories from the heroine’s eyes.

Taking a look at the same world with a different character in a different medium is a very unique approach that helps paint an elegantly realized big picture.

Could you briefly describe the various steps involved in translating most of the text (other than the dialogue) to art?

After reading the script through once to get a feel for the major story beats, I then went back and reread it with an eye for pacing, marking off where I thought each page should start and begin.

Making sure I had the exact right number of pages for publication was a little tricky, but once that was all figured out, I dived right in to digitally thumb-nailing the entire graphic novel, composing panels and distributing text and dialogue so I could see how the finished product might look.

I submitted the sketch dummy to Candlewick, and after hearing back with comments and revisions, I was free to start inking!

I printed out my thumbnail sketches very lightly onto pages of 11x14” Bristol board, then inked the final artwork right over my original layouts, which were drawn on the computer. A fairly multimedia heavy process, but I think it all worked out in the end!

Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, Mass.

Each character has a dual nature--or should I say a supernatural duality? How did you go about building them in "monster" form in particular?

Quincie’s monster form is thrust upon her, so when I drew her as a vampire, particularly in the first moments we see her, I tried to convey a bedraggled, heavy, almost soul sickness to her. She quickly picks up, after that, but she’s starving almost the entire time she’s a vampire in the story, so I made her a bit more drawn around the eyes and mouth.

Brad’s so slick and subtly scary that I didn’t make his vampire form all that much different from his “human” form. I just drew him more sleekly whenever he was playing the role of the gentleman monster, making his eyes a bit brighter, his mouth a bit larger. Little things that I hope give an impression of suspicious perfection.

Kieren, I had the most fun with. He makes the most dramatic transformation into a Teen Wolf, though he never goes full werewolf. Figuring out where to draw the line so that he read as someone who hadn’t transformed all the way yet but was definitely a bit more monstrous than we’d perhaps been expecting was tremendously fun.

I love so much about your art, but especially how well you convey emotion through body language and facial expression. Do you act out scenes? Make faces in a mirror?

Thank you! I absolutely pantomime a lot of moments when I need to figure out how the capture an emotion, and I’m not shy about asking family, friends, or even visitors to hold their hands a certain way or slump a bit and hunch their shoulders.

But I do most of my observation in everyday life, just walking around and watching people. I try to store a lot of mundane moments in my head so I can refer back to them when I need set a certain aspect of life down onto a page.

What advice do you have for other artists interested in illustrating graphic-format books?

Read as many comics as you can get your hands and watch classic, black-and-white films to learn how to frame shots effectively and dramatically. Take life drawing classes, study anatomy.

Always be taking in as much reference material as possible so you have a lot to cull from when it comes to building your own personal aesthetic.

What graphic-format books by other illustrators do you recommend for study?

Next up on my plate is illustrating the graphic novel adaptation of Eternal, the sequel to Tantalize! You can also always check my website to see what I’m up to these days.

Cynsational Notes

This illustrator interview is the last of week-long series of posts, celebrating the release of Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick, 2011) after which we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Enter to win the Tantalize: Kieren's Story Howling Giveaway, featuring an author-signed copy of the graphic novel, myriad of shifter-inspired puppets, adult-size costume bat wings, more books, DVD, and much more!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Ginger Knowlton represents authors and illustrators of children's-YA books in all genres, as well as a few adult book authors.

Her list includes Newbery Medalists, Newbery Honor and Printz Honor winners, Edgar and Lambda winners, a Sibert and Orbis Pictus winner, New York Times bestsellers, and a host of other delightful and talented clients.

Ginger started working at Curtis Brown in 1986 as an assistant to Marilyn Marlow, one of the first literary agents to specialize in children's books in the 1960s. Working for Marilyn was a rite of passage, affectionately referred to as Curtis Brown’s "Boot Camp."

Before joining the company, Ginger worked in the field of early childhood education in Sacramento and Mendocino, California.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Authors' Representatives and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Library in her hometown in Westchester County.

CLS: When I was growing up, my dad worked six days a week, often until 9 p.m. When I was little, that was before or about at my bedtime. So, our father-daughter moments were spent mostly only Sundays, while he also was juggling the rest of family and many to-dos.

Every now and then, he’d load me up in the Oldsmobile and drive us to the local convenience shop where I’d pick up superhero, science fiction, and the rare horror comics.

Coupled with trips with Mom to the public library, these jaunts provided the picture- and graphic-format books that laid the foundation for a lifetime of reading and, ultimately, writing.

GK: What about Wonder Woman in particular appealed to you?

CLS: Wonder Woman is the perhaps the most iconic female superhero and proudly so. In the DC Comics Universe, she has a place right next to Superman and Batman.

Though her uniform has never made much sense (at least from a combat perspective), Wonder Woman is both physically and intellectually strong. She’s magically blessed by the goddesses, but has also worked hard to train and educate herself.

Diana is more about action than reaction. She was born a princess but left behind that life of privilege and comfort to help others. Yet she’s still loyal to her fellow Amazons.

When I was a young reader, most depictions of women showed them as victims or trophies, largely defined by traditional gender expectations and the men in their lives.

In contrast, Wonder Woman had always been a major hero in her own right, and she regularly emphasized that girls and women could stand tall in their own red boots.

His mother, Meara Morales, first came to the States from Ireland for college, and his father, Roberto Morales, is from a family that’s lived in Texas under all six flags.

The Moraleses also have a five-year-old daughter, Meghan, who’s very close to her big brother.

The family is firmly middle class, with Mom working as a wedding planner and Dad as a university professor of engineering. They make their home in a relatively new McMansion in the Fairview neighborhood of near south Austin, Texas.

It’s traditional for urban Wolves to join a pack when they come of age, and the typical way in is either brains or brawn. Because of his mixed heritage, Kieren isn’t as strong or fast as a full Wolf, though he’s much more formidable on both counts than a human. So, his plan is to enter a pack as a scholar, specializing in Wolf history and lore. Kieren is one smart puppy.

More personally, because he knows he’ll be leaving soon, Kieren has held off from acting on his growing romantic feelings for his best friend, Quincie Morris.

GK: Why did you decide to retell the Tantalize prose novel in graphic format and from a different (Kieren's) point of view?

CLS: The very first draft of the prose novel had been from Kieren’s point of view. I switched to Quincie’s in large part because I was intimidated by the idea of writing a novel from a male perspective.

However, in the years since, I’ve had the opportunity to write from a boy’s point of view in short stories and as an alternating voice in prose novels. That built my confidence.

Also, I wanted to offer something new to my readers—new scenes, a new perspective. Tantalize: Kieren’s Story is more of a companion than a straight-up adaptation.

Beyond that, as I got to know Kieren and more fully developed my fantasy construct, it became clear that he had a compelling story of his own to tell.

As a human-werewolf hybrid, Kieren’s position in mainstream society is precarious. In my universe, shape-shifters are naturally born, not supernatural. They can trace their origins back to the Ice Age. Nevertheless, they’re the targets of prejudice and discrimination. Their legal rights are unclear.

In Tantalize: Kieren’s Story, our hero is being framed for murder by the true killer. That would be bad news for anyone, but it’s doubly bad if you’re a young werewolf. Not only his freedom, but the secret of his family’s dual heritage is on the line.

GK: How was the process different between writing the novel and the graphic novel?

CLS: From the prose novel, I already knew my characters, setting, and had a fairly solid idea of what Kieren had been doing when he was off-screen.

So, my focus was translating the prose scenes to graphic format—taking out the connective tissue and description that would be provided in the art—and adding in Kieren’s perspective on existing and previously untold events.

GK: Are the characters represented visually as you saw them in your head when writing the books? If not, how are they different?

CLS: They’re better—the facial expressions, the body language. Illustrator Ming Doyle is a genius. I love that Quincie looks like a real girl. The multicultural nature of the cast is also clearer visually than in the text alone.

GK: What can your readers expect to see from you next?

Adaptation in progress!

CLS: I look forward to the release of Diabolical, the fourth prose novel in the Tantalize series, which will be out in January 2012.

Diabolical is partly set in Austin but mostly takes place in Vermont. It draws inspiration from unresolved events at the end of Eternal, shines a light on all four of the previous protagonists (Zachary, Miranda, Quincie and Kieren), and introduces several new characters and creatures.

Diabolical is by far the most action-packed of the prose quartet to date but also possesses the horror, romance, and humor of the previous titles.

In its final execution, it's not that scary (depending on your level of sensitivity), but it is a mind bender and literally gave me nightmares early in the drafting process.

An Eternal graphic novel is also in the works. I've seen the early sketches, and as much as I love Tantalize: Kieren's Story, I think this second graphic will be even better.

On the fiction front, I’m excited that my YA short story, “Mooning Over Broken Stars” will appear in an anthology, Girl Meets Boy, edited by Kelly Milner Halls (Chronicle, 2012). It’s a companion to a short by acclaimed Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac and features Native American characters.

This interview is one of a week-long series of posts, celebrating the release of Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick, 2011) after which we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Agent Interview with Ginger Knowlton from K.L. Going. Peek: "Smart, funny, and engaging letters catch my eye. It's best to include at least a first page of a longer manuscript with your query, and an entire picture book if that's what you write. Let me see what you want me to sell."

Enter to win the Tantalize: Kieren's Story Howling Giveaway, featuring an author-signed copy of the graphic novel, myriad of shifter-inspired puppets, adult-size costume bat wings, more books, DVD, and much more!

To enter, comment on this post and include an email address (formatted like: cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com) or a link to an email address. Or you can email me directly with "Tantalize: Kieren's Story" in the subject line. Author-sponsored. Deadline: Sept. 6.

As a hybrid werewolf, Kieren is destined to join an urban Wolf pack and learn to master his shift. Soon, he'll leave everything behind home, school, his family, and Quincie, his human best friend…who's beginning to be a whole lot more than a friend.

For years, Kieren has managed to keep his desires—and his Wolf—at bay. But when the chef at Quincie's family restaurant is brutally murdered, Kieren resolves to be there for her, even if it means being framed and even if it means watching Quincie's beloved restaurant morph into a vampire lair.

But when the new chef begins wooing Quincie, how long can Kieren control his claws? How long can he protect her—and himself?

Ming Doyle was born in Boston to an Irish-American sailor and a Chinese-Canadian librarian. She earned her BFA from Cornell University with a dual concentration in painting and drawing. She has since depicted the exploit of zombie superheroes, demonic cheerleaders, vengeful cowboys, and dapper mutants. Tantalize is her first full-length graphic novel—and marks her first encounter with a wereopossum.

Cynsational Notes

This Howling Great Giveaway is the second in a week-long series of posts, celebrating the release of Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick, 2011) after which we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Sale! February Only!

About

New York Times & Publishers Weekly best-selling, award-winning author the Tantalize series, the Feral series and other critically acclaimed fiction for young readers. She/her. MFA Faculty, Vermont College of Fine Arts. Board member, We Need Diverse Books. Ohonvyetv!

Intern

Intern

Robin Galbraith holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Intern

Kate Pentecost holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the YA author of Elysium Girls (Hyperion, winter 2020). Kate is represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.